Quality of pork loin stored under different light intensity

Abstract

The objective of the experiment was to study the influence of the intensity of light at the pork loins surface on their physicochemical and microbiological properties as a function of cold storage. Meat slices were packed in modified atmosphere packs (MAP: 80% O2 and 20% CO2) and stored in the darkness or displayed under fluorescent light (1000 lx and 2000 lx, respectively) for 12 days. Results indicated that on the last day of storage pork loins stored under light were more discolored, had greater drip loss, and were less tender (P < 0.05). Moreover, excessive light intensity (LI) accelerated microorganism growth and led to an increase of n-6/n-3 ratio (P < 0.05). Finally, MAP packages stored under 2000 lx were characterized by the lowest oxygen and the highest carbon dioxide content. Considering the above, it is recommended to store pork loins in the dark and if it is not possible in the low LI.

Keywords

• Pork loin
• light intensity
• physicochemical properties
• microbiology